That’s because, over a decade ago, Texas officials decided on a percentage of students that should get special education services.
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Children were given Section 504 plans, which provide some accommodations for students with disabilities but do not carry the same level of legal obligations and protections as plans developed under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (Section 504 refers to a part of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973).
By 2000, according to data collected by the federal government, 13.3 percent of kids got some form of specialized education services-even if it was just 20 minutes of speech therapy per week.
While Texas’ artificial target for special education services has affected students with a wide variety of disabilities and demographics, it has perhaps hit English Language Learners and families in big cities the hardest.
As a result, enrollment dropped by 32 percent in 10 years despite a 16 percent increase in the number of USA children diagnosed with a disability, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. The instructions were clear: School districts could get a ideal score on that part of the scorecard by giving special education services to fewer than 8.5 percent of students. Instead, he says, the system of accountability implies schools could get audited or receive a fine if their classroom numbers go above the target percentage.
Houston State Representative Gene Wu said the Education Commissioner should immediately send out a communique to Texas school districts informing them to provide special education services to all students who need them. If they served more, they would lose points.
Rosenthal says school administrators and special education instructors are not being explicitly told to keep the number of kids using special education services down. And urban districts have been among the districts most actively lowering their special education enrollments. Each district pays a fee to have the co-op’s specialists, therapists and diagnosticians come to campus and assist special-needs students. “To do that, they have to be in regular settings”. Across the country, about 13.5 percent of students receive special education in schools. In my article, I found that NY was responsible a third of the special education enrollment increase between 2013-14 and 2014-15.
Northside ISD Superintendant Brian Wood said that in education circles the 8.5 target was well known.
Despite a 23.4 percent drop in special education enrollment since the state benchmark was put in place, the district has seen a slight uptick in the past four years.
Gonzales-Roybal said to her knowledge no student ever has been turned down for services in the district.
Rosenthal says that national special education enrollment decrease is driven nearly entirely by Texas.
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Even with the number looming over their heads, Gonzales-Roybal said her staff doesn’t worry about the state benchmark. “Spots are always filled, and we’re always adding additional spots”.
